Monthly Archives: May 2009

Benjamin Steak House is open seven days a week serving breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant features full bars on two levels, and offers private room and party menus. For complete menus, photo gallery and more, visit www.benjaminsteakhouse.com

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REVIEW

By Nancy Walman

After more than 20 years at that venerable institution, Peter Luger’s Steakhouse in Brooklyn, chef Arturo McLeod joined forces with fellow Luger alumna, Benjamin Prelvukaj to launch Benjamin Steak House. Benjamin has become a landmark in its own right. Located one block from historic Grand Central terminal, Benjamin Steak House mirrors the opulence and grandeur of that magnificent station. Housed on the main floor of the century-old Chemist Club building, which is now home to the Dylan Hotel.

General Manager Victor Dedushaj

A great dining experience begins with the front of the house and Benjamin Steak House is fortunate to have enlisted the services of Victor Dedushaj, who is as warm, knowledgeable and professional as it gets.

In addition to the elegant and spacious main dining room and superb service, the big draw is the steaks: Six cuts of dry-aged beef are available: from 16-ounce porterhouses to top sirloins to juicy and tender rib eyes to succulent filet mignon. Every steak is grilled to perfection, using the best USDA prime beef. Any cut can be served family style for two to four people. The restaurant also offers steak for 10, which includes every cut on the menu as well as chateaubriand, costs $1,111. Lobsters are also spectacular as is lump crab and succulent sliced tomatoes & onion salad.

Don’t miss the German-style potatoes, cream-less creamed spinach and an over-the-top hot fudge sundae with loads of whip cream. Benjamin has an extensive wine list, with selections from Italy, France, California, Australia, New Zealand, Spain, Chile and Argentina as well as a fine selection by the glass and 1/2 bottle. The two bars (one on the main floor and one on the mezzanine) serve high-end cocktails featuring top-shelf liquors. The wooden bar on the second floor is the centerpiece to the section and a great place to watch the action below. Set back from the balustrade, the bar, with its low lighting, is also the perfect spot for a private drink with your date. High ceilings, large white columns, brass chandeliers, a 10-foot fireplace and dark wood paneling dominate the 5,000-square-foot, bi-level dining space. The main dining room, with its rich leather banquettes and large bar, seats 120; the upstairs lounge, which is available for private parties, seats 46. Whether it’s a business lunch, a romantic rendezvous or a boisterous family dinner, Benjamin Steak House is sure to please even the most jaded food connoisseur. Benjamin Steak House gets “The Walman Award” as the city’s most dependably excellent steak house and rates A Major on the Walman Report.

Patina Restaurant Group Presents Cold-Water Delicacy at Budget-Friendly Prices
from May 22nd-September 6th

Lobster lovers have reason to celebrate this summer – the world’s most sought after lobster, the hard-shell from Nova Scotia, is making its way to Patina Restaurant Group’s menus at unbeatable prices. Usually considered a culinary luxury, PRG’s lobster offerings are extremely well-priced with dishes starting at $7.50. The deep, cold Canadian waters yield lobsters with a flavor that is rich and sweet, with plump, fresh meat during the summer months.

PRG’s landmark restaurants are celebrating the arrival of the Nova Scotia lobsters with special menus at all its New York Metro restaurants beginning May 22nd through September 6th.

A la carte lobster menus will vary to reflect the unique style of each restaurant. Specialties include a Crisped Lobster Roll for $7.50 at Cucina & Co., Gazpacho of Sugar Snap Peas with Lobster for $12 at La Fonda del Sol; Lobster Bolognese with Linguine, Local Ricotta and Basil Oil for $22 at Brasserie 8½; Lobster Tempura with Green Papaya and Mango Slaw, Sweet Chili Sauce at Nick & Stef’s Steakhouse for $12; Lobster Bake with a 2 lb. lobster, corn on the cob, boiled potatoes, andouille sausage and clarified butter for $29 at Rock Center Café.

On the heels of their hugely successful launches in the California and Nevada markets, Viking Glacier Spirits International Inc. (VGS) is pleased to introduce ÍS VODKA (pronounced “ice”) to the New York Market. ÍS will be distributed by US distributor MHW, Ltd. Although the brand is new to the United States market—ÍS VODKA has already made a splash offering consumers an unmatched, ultra-premium product made from the purest water source on earth. ÍS will officially debut at the The Bar Show, taking place at the Javits Convention Center June 14-15, 2009. ÍS VODKA will be in booth 427 and will host a press reception on Monday, June 15 at a flagship New York on-premise account.

ÍS VODKA is made of the finest non-genetically modified European wheat and is distilled seven times for ultimate purity, unrivalled quality and consistently exceptional taste. Master Distiller Peter McKay of the United Kingdom, a graduate of the Wine & Sprit Education Trust and a judge for the International Wine & Spirit Challenge, developed a special distillation formula for ÍS VODKA using Icelandic water, European wheat and a third (secret) ingredient. The result is an ultra-smooth spirit with a tantalizing hint of fire.

Roberto Wirth, owner and General Manager of the venerable Hotel Hassler Roma, signed an agreement last week with renowned hotelier Moreno Occhiolini to create a new international luxury hotel chain, Hassler Hotels & Resorts.

The new company will have Wirth as Chairman and Occhiolini as CEO. The original Hotel Hassler Roma will continue to be owned and managed by Wirth, who holds almost 30 years at its helm.

Destinations for Hassler Hotels & Resorts may include business and leisure cities such as New York, Washington DC, Chicago, London, Zurich, Doha and Jeddah. The new properties will be housed in historic buildings similar to that of the Hassler Roma, or those in development that mirror the Hassler Roma’s unique location, service standards, personality and refinement.

The first phase of Badrutt’s Palace Hotel’s wellness renovation will be completed by August 2009. The enhancement of the wellness area is part of a three-stage upgrade for Badrutt’s Palace Hotel from 2008 to 2010 with a total investment of close to 50 million Swiss Francs.

Following an upgrade to the oval pool in summer 2008, the Wet Zone now offers guests an ice room and a mist room, in addition to two saunas of different temperatures and a tropical rainforest shower. The renovated wellness area promises relaxation for mind, body and soul.

Acclaimed award-winning British singer Claire Martin and Oscar-nominated composer and pianist Richard Rodney Bennett join forces for a fortnight of relaxed cabaret-style jazz inspired by Broadway composer Cy Coleman, whose music forms the linchpin of their new show, Witchcraft. From May 26th through June 6th, Claire and Richard will offer such Coleman songs as “The Best Is Yet To Come,” “With Every Breath I Take,” “I’m Going to Laugh You Right Out of My Life, ” “On Second Thought” and “When in Rome,” as well as standards by the likes of Gershwin and Arlen.

Shows are Tuesday through Thursday at 8:30 pm and Friday and Saturday at 8:30 and 11:00 pm. The cover charge per person is $40 weeknights and late weekend shows and $50 early weekend shows, plus either a $30 minimum or $50 prix fixe dinner. Reservations: (212) 419 9331 or bmcgurn@algonquinhotel.com.

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